Suspected Russian mercenary leader attended Kremlin reception

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A man identified as a Russian mercenary leader in Ukraine and Syria by an authoritative website attended a Kremlin reception earlier this month, Vladimir Putin's spokesman said on Thursday, raising questions about the man's links to the authorities.

Mercenaries who fought in Ukraine have told Reuters that the man, who went by the nomme de guerre "Vagner," led a unit of Russian mercenaries in Ukraine and Syria.

Fontanka, an authoritative Russian-language website, has published what it says is the only known photo of "Vagner." The website said his name was Dmitry Utkin. Reuters could not verify the image or the name.